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Friday, September 30, 2016

I was doing some online shopping and I came across a vintage airplane model. From the photos, I thought it would be easy to assemble so I added it to my shopping cart. Just MYR9.90, so what the heck.

When the package arrived, it was just two small metal sheets. All the many parts were cramped together. One needed nimble and gentle fingers to get the parts out without ruining them. The metal was thin and very bendable. Had to be careful too as some of the edges were sharp.

When it came to assembly, I had to make really small creases. The parts latch together via a system of small holes and metal bits. One had to be careful, else it would not fit nicely. Needed much patience, good eyesight, and a forceps. If you make too many bends, the metal might just snap off.

Took me close to three hours to finish the model. So tiring! I don't think I will attempt any more models like this unless they increase the scale.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

The kids went to church with mum and I because their parents were still busy. Sometimes the kids are like angels in church, sometimes they are wound up and can't seem to sit still. More often than not, its the latter. The kids were already sick of Paradigm Mall, so I brought them to Glo Damansara instead. Its a new place just behind Tropicana City Mall. Very low key. Rightfully so because only ten percent of their tenants have started operating. Without their anchor tenant B.I.G., there would be no real reason to step foot into that place. With such a condition, food options would obviously be scarce as well. Ate a Ben's General Food Store which was attached to the supermarket. Although the menu was limited, just the size of a table mat, it was good enough for the kids. Enough for sharing, the meat lover's pizza was great with its crispy crust and generous toppings.

After lunch, there was nothing else to do there except to buy groceries. A great place to point out imported fruits and vegetables to the kids. A is for Arugula, B is for Broccoli....

Did not want the kids to be cooped up at home the whole day, so brought them out for some outdoor fun at Taman Bukit Jalil. Noticed an increase of youngsters at the park. Would be great news if they were actually there to exercise instead of catching Pokemon. Mum cooked dinner that night and we had a mini celebration.

Monday, September 26, 2016

My sister and BIL had an exhibition in PWTC over the weekend, so mum and I had to babysit and give marketing a miss. The kids had a second breakfast of pork ball noodles with us. Then at 11:00 AM, sent Big Monster to his science class at Sri Petaling. Little Monster complained that his tummy was rumbling. He wasn't thrilled that we kept walking into shops and not restaurants. Haha. Truly did not know what to eat at Bandar Baru Sri Petaling. In the end, we went to 103 Workshop Cafe because I had free latte voucher that was expiring soon.

When we walked in, Little Monster whined, "This place again?! It's boring!". LOL. Guess my sister brings him to this place pretty frequently. He was so familiar with the menu that he told me to order a plate of bacon wraps for him. In addition to that, I got a plate of carbonara and a pork burger. Normally, Little Monster loves creamy pastas, but I didn't realize that what I ordered was spicy. No wonder he shouted for water on the first mouthful. Fed him the pork burger and sweet potato fries (Little Monster used goma dressing as a dip!) instead. In my opinion, the pork patty was pretty good. We still had some time to burn before Big Monster's class ended, so brought mum to some random fashion boutiques around the area. While walking on the five-foot walkway, we saw a whole bunch of kids standing around with the phones for no apparent reason. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that they were busy playing Pokemon Go. Goodness.

By the time Big Monster finished his science class, it was already 2:00 PM. Time to bring him for a late lunch. Another headache deciding what to eat. Tried 10 Years, a cafe selling Malaysian delights at not-so-delightful prices. He finished a plate of nasi lemak all by himself. I ordered an apam balik drizzled with loads of peanut butter and chocolate, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A shocking take on a classic snack. I think it will be another ten years before I revisit this place.

Back home, had to entertain the kids with YouTube clips. Come dinner time, we went to a neighbourhood shop for some dishes with SK. By that time, the little one was already missing his mother....

Friday, September 23, 2016

Been quite some time since we met Gratitude. Managed to arrange a tea time session with him at The Coffee Sessions, BK5 on a Saturday afternoon. SK and KH were there too. Lots of gossip to catch up on, and also life and family issues. We all have our shit. After Gratitude finished his chicken pot pie, we moved to Felice Cafe a few doors away. A newbie in the neighbourhood. Looks to be a lesbian-friendly joint for coffee and waffles. Gratitude and SK were not impressed. Upon entering, they complained about the smell of vanillin lingering in the air. Tried their signature latte and a waffle with bananas and chocolate ice cream. No complaints about their Musetti coffee, but I wouldn't describe their waffles as good. Just slightly better than they type you get at kiosks.

In the evening, SK joined mum and I for our monthly BEC gathering. This time it was held at Taman Bukit Serdang. Big Monster and Little Monster also came with us because their parents had a dinner party to attend. To my surprise, they were very well-behaved throughout the whole thing. However, when we left, they complained that it was boring. Well, for them everything is boring. Haha. Their parents picked them up at 10:30 PM and we went to supper together at Restoran Mirasa. A round of teh tarik and naan before calling it a night.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

On a rainy Sunday evening, SK recommended dinner at Choy Hi, Puchong Jaya. Judging by the crowd, the food must be good. The places serves some interesting dishes. A popular choice seems to be the claypot water kangkung (unlike the usual land variety, the stems are bigger). Another interesting dish is the Bentong chicken bihun. It's a dish of bihun drenched in broth and rice wine, topped with steamed chicken and plenty of garlic and ginger. We also tried stuffed tofupok. The pork stuffing had a hint of dried squid which makes it quite aromatic. When the bill came, we were pleasantly surprised with the KR1M price tag.

Here's an interesting dish on the menu that we will try on our next visit:

Didn't want to go home yet, so we stopped for drinks at Fu Wah, a char chan teng type of place. I ordered a hot yuan yang while SK ordered milk tea.

The beverages weren't impressive but surprisingly their baked char siew bun was! Standard better than Tim Ho Wan and Sheng Kee. The bun had a nice texture and the meat filling was chunky and delicious. Definitely worth a revisit.

Monday, September 19, 2016

On Saturday afternoon, KH and I were presented with a perfect opportunity to spend some quality time together. Right after lunch, mum went to her society meeting, so that gave us ample time to skank. Our last session was in May, so we were understandably horny. KH really hit the spot. Spent and sweaty, we snuggled in bed, showered then went out for coffee at Strangers At 47.

It was our first time there. Initial impression was good because they provided good table service. All the staff were young females with a lone guy manning the cashier. Started with a flat white and an affogatto (ice cream on a rainy afternoon), both of which were quite good. Felt a little nippish so we tried their crepes, one savoury and another sweet. For the savoury crepe, we chose Shore to Please, a seafood version with prawns, battered calamari and a creamy salted egg yolk sauce. A good combo. For dessert, we had the Red Riding Hood, which is their red velvet crepe. Didn't quite like that.

Later in the evening, we were going to watch "Nunsense" at PJ Live Arts, so we drove over to Jaya One to kill some time. Loitered at Cold Storage and aimlessly roamed The School. An hour before the show, we ate at Go Rice Shop. As the name suggests, they only serve rice. I had the Pork Slice Soupy Rice while KH ate the Four Treasures Mini Bowl. Soupy rice means rice in broth. The portion was big, but the rice was all broken. The pork slices were thin and yummy, like those used in sukiyaki. The Four Treasures Mini Bowl consisted of soya sauce chicken, braised peanuts, mui choi and stewed egg. Normally when one says "Four Treasures", it refers to four varieties of meat.

"Nunsense" is a comedy musical that is said to be the world's second longest running off-Broadway musical. The story revolves around five nuns from the Little Sisters of Balakong who survived a mass poisoning at their convent. In order to raise funds for the burials, Mother Superior Mary Regina holds a fundraiser with the help of Sister Mary Hubert, Sister Robert Anne, Sister Mary Leo and Sister Mary Amnesia (she lost her memory after a crucifix fell on her head). Overall, it was pretty funny but didn't get some of the jokes because we weren't very sure what they were singing.

Each ticket holder was eligible for a free B1F1 drinks at Frontera Sol of Mexico, so we ordered a couple of their Horny Margaritas and a plate of nachos. I remember that my last time there was to celebrate My President's birthday (this name had not appeared in my writings for years too). The nachos was great and the drinks were quite strong. Kinda floated to the car a bit.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Marketing on Raya Keempat was a quiet affair. Many were away on holidays and some suppliers were still not open for business. Mum didn't buy much at all. Got home earlier than usual. At 10:30 AM, I went over to Honda Service Centre at Equine Park to pick KH up. Brought him over to my home to hang out. Made him coffee and served him snacks. My mother made small talk with him. She even made him lunch of fried rice.

Felt bored at home (not like we could lock the door and shag), so we went to AEON Equine Park to do some shopping. Not many shoppers there. Saw that there was a new cafe there, so we made a bee line for it. The new place was called Aroma Village, with a Nyonya Colours-like concept (means the kuih is as small and expensive LOL). Tried cendol and roti jala. The cendol (referring to the green worms) itself was actually quite good, not the frozen variety. The palm sugar was quite fragrant but truth be told, it did not have the correct cendol taste. The coconut cream taste was too weak. As for the roti jala, the texture was good, but the curry chicken was too oily and the meat too soft.

KH's car was ready for collection at 4:00 PM, so we dropped him off on our way out from AEON. Mum cooked an early dinner of instant noodles before we went to church to attend a wake. An elderly member of my BEC had succumbed to a brain tumour. Truth be told, it was my first Catholic wake. Didn't know about the aspergillum used to sprinkle holy water on the deceased's portrait. It was the first night, and a lot of people came to pay their respects. At 8:30 PM, members from the Legion of Mary started a prayer session. Left at an hour later after a little socializing. Sad to discover that another member of our BEC recently discovered a tumour behind her nose. So much bad news...

Thursday, September 15, 2016

My abnormal outdoor activity trend continued on to the second day of Aidilfitri. Mum and I went to Taman Bukit Jalil for a morning jog. A filming crew was there that morning but I don't really what they were filming. Glad to see that Taman Bukit Jalil is now home to some pigeons, storks and geese.

Been hearing rave reviews about Good Taste Restaurant's wantan noodles, so we went there for breakfast. There was a healthy crowd at their Jalil Link outlet and we managed to secure a seat near the toast grill (not exactly ideal). True to the tips on Foursquare, service there is really curt. The wantan noodles weren't anything to shout about. Maybe my expectations were too high. Just average charsiew. Not value for money. Curry noodles were equally disappointing-- oily and watery. The charcoal grill toast seems popular though. I would know since I was sitting there looking at the guy continuously putting bread on the grill. But from my observations, the bread was kinda thin. Coincidentally, the Tribe was eating there too. The Little One looked sleepy.

Such a chore to think about where to eat at times (first world problems). For lunch, we went back to Jalil Link and tried Sushi Akami. According to some online reviews, the owner used to work for Sushi Zanmai, so he opened his own version of it. If you have a crazing for Japanese and don't want to break the bank, you can consider some casual dining here.

Pooh and Myself were in town, so KH and I made a bee line for Midvalley to meet them for dinner. When we arrived, they were busy shopping at Uniqlo, ooh-ahh-ing at the superior bargains and selection compared to the outlets in Penang. Pooh's dinner requirements were simple-- pizza. That pretty much narrowed down the choices. In the end, we chose Mikey's Original New York Pizza. True to its name, they served large slices of pizza. As to how authentic it was, I'm no expert. But I do feel that they scrimped on the toppings.

Like other malls, Midvalley chose the way of the rumah kampung as their centerpiece. In terms of size, I think it was a little downsized, but they added a little batik twist to it. The Gardens Mall used a more contemporary approach-- plenty of colorful kain pelikat and spools of thread. If you did not scrutinize the giant temari balls, you would think it was Japanese.

Before calling it a night, we had coffee at Yeast. Although they were open till late, the kitchen was closed and they had not much pastry left on the shelf. Despite that, we were given excellent service by the waiters.

"You don't have to pour your own water, You paid for the service tax, so we are here to serve."

Even when it came to taking a group photo, he declared that he would happily oblige taking multiple shots. I guess that only happens when we are the only occupied table. Haha.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

I went hiking on Raya Pertama. Yes, I did. Please don't faint or laugh hysterically. I did not go nuts. My mind wasn't taken over by aliens. KH, SK and I actually went to Wawasan Hill to hike. Wawasan Hill is part of the Air Itam Forest Reserve just beside Taman Wawasan. It's so close to the housing area that while hiking, one can still hear the traffic and the Aidilfitri prayers. We started at a little before 9:00 AM. At first, we went the wrong way. Followed a big group to a steep climb that went past a small Taoist shrine. Actually, that wasn't the main trail, but a side trail heading towards a waterfall. It got increasingly more difficult and SK seemed to be struggling, especially since she was wearing Birkenstocks instead of trail shoes. Didn't want an untoward incident, so we decided to head back out. That 25 minute detour KO-ed SK. She decided to wait outside, while KH and I headed to the main trail.

The start of the trail was rocky, a trail carved out from an exposed rock face. At the first look out point, one is 'rewarded' with a view of the nearby residential and light industrial zones. From there on, we were on a forest trail of moderate difficulty. Luckily the inclines weren't too difficult and the path we as easy to follow. As we progressed, we passed by hikers of many age groups. We would greet each other with a simple "Good Morning". One sullen looking kid gave me a pitiful "....chooooouuuu sannnnnn....". Outside of the track, I think it's very un-urban-like behaviour to talk to strangers. Not something common. And I think Malaysians aren't too familiar with hiking etiquette, some choosing to hike with portable AM/FM radios blaring and talking loudly. Far off, I also heard a Christian group singing hymns. Kinda defeats the purpose of immersing oneself in nature. Can't enjoy the serenity and the soft sounds of nature.

Along the quiet stretches, KH would steal a kiss and be a little grabby. That's what happens when the blood gets flowing from exercise. Haha. Finished the trail before 10:30 AM. Didn't catch sight of any cuties which was a disappointment. My sister and BIL was also there and we finished at about the same time. She came later and took a shorter route. We went to breakfast together after picking up mum and Little Monster. Ventured to Restoran Phangkey, Jalan Lazat for dim sum. The brunch crowd was crazy due to the public holiday. Hard to secure a table, hard to order, hard to pay even. Been years since I actually ate at that area. Their yu mai, fried radish cake and fried prawn rolls were actually quite good. Prawn dumplings weren't up to standard and I did not get to sample any of their siew mai due to the limited supply.

*** too tired and hungry to take any photos ***

Once I got home, I washed off my sweat and changed. Just plopped onto the bed, ready for a nap. But that was not to be. KH wanted me to join him at his colleague's Raya open house in Kepong. Zzz. Dragged myself out of bed to get dressed. While KH drove, I nearly fell asleep in the car. Glad that I made the visit because his colleague's mother is a terrific cook from Kelantan. She made laksam and nasi dagang! Heavenly. And there was also ketupat dakap which I had never seen before. Basically paired-up pulut panggang without the filling and eaten with dry rendang. KH's colleague was very nice and we chatted till tea time. Over a cup of tea she told us about her youngest daughter who loved to watch Peppa Pig and snort like her. LOL. She said that it helped her daughter's command of the English language!

In the evening, dinner was at my sister's house. Found that the porch was dominated by a shanty town made out of cardboard boxes! Big Monster was relaxing in one of the 'rooms' which had ventilation provided by several fans. At another corner was a snack station with water and potato chips. Little Monster was busy popping in and out of a sky light, yelling "Cuckoo!". So cute.

Thursday, September 08, 2016

What better way to celebrate Raya Puasa than to have a naughty dinner on its eve? Made our way to Life Center to try Naughty Nuri's, a Balinese grill joint famous for all things porcine and alcoholic (check out all the pig statues around the restaurant). Been a quite some time since both of us actually went out for a nice evening out, to eat, drink and chat. We had a window table with a view of my client's building across the street. Not sure how that affected my appetite. LOL. To begin we ordered two beers. For mains, it was the 1995 Signature Barbeque Spare Ribs and Sukawati Inspired Crispy Duck. The slab of spare ribs was easy to eat with a great sauce. However, the duck was a bit over-fried in my opinion. But I loved the the onion rice that was on the side. As much as I like spare ribs and duck, It was actually a lot of meat for two persons to finish. Took us a while. It gave us the opportunity for more quiet conversation which was good.

With so much meat and beer sloshing in our bellies, we headed to Pavilion to take a look at their Raya Puasa decorations. I wasn't impressed at all. Looked like a stationary float for the National Day parade. After some aimless window shopping, we went home via the monorail and LRT. Had to sleep early that night since we were going hiking the next day. Shocking right?

who i am ?

I've been told that I look like Suneo Honekawa (how I wish it was Takuya Kimura). I'm fickle (so typical of Librans and other member's of the Alternate society). I laugh and grin a lot (must be some Cheshire Cat genes in there some where too). I have a loving family. Plenty of friends (SK's the best!). And a single person who completes me-- my dear KH. Life has been all ups and downs. But I'm a Thurday's child, so I guess there 's still far to go.
Drop me a mail at tanduk7 [at] hotmail.com.